Punting a restaurant off my list

vsp · 01-30-2006, 10:56 AM

The victim: Bahama Breeze, KoP Mall area.

The offense:

My wife, myself and a mutual friend were interested in going there Saturday night. I'd dealt with them before on a Saturday, and the wait time is usually horrendous, as they have Call-Ahead Seating. The last time we tried it, we got there at 4:30 on a Saturday and were told "two hour wait" with a near-empty lobby, because tables were reserved for callers.

Note that the restaurant does not accept reservations. They reserve positions on the wait list for tables for those who call ahead. This is an important plot point.

So around 3:30, I called up to put our names on the list. The host says "We have no wait now, so we can't put you down on our wait list for tables. Try calling about 30 minutes before you're going to arrive." Sounds reasonable.

Around 4:45, standing in my friend's kitchen, I called to put our names on the list. The hostess says "We have no wait now, so we can't put you down on our wait list for tables. Come on in." I shrug, and we drive directly from Exton to KoP, about a 15-minute drive.

A few minutes after 5, we park and walk in the door. The place is mobbed. We reach the hostess and she says "It'll be about an hour's wait." I pointed out that I'd tried to play by their rules and call ahead _twice_, once within the past 20 minutes, and she sniffed and said "Well, we must not have had a wait then."

No, fuck YOU, ma'am.

We walked over to the sports-bar restaurant next door, where we had zero wait for a table. While standing in line to speak to the hostess there, we noticed a familiar-looking couple in front of us. We compared notes; they'd been standing in front of us in the Bahama line, and Bahama did the same "we do call-ahead seating, if you call ahead in a specific three-minute time window, but you'll wait for an hour if that window occurs during your commute" stunt to them.

OFF THE ACCEPTABLE RESTAURANT LIST with them. Outback does call-ahead and people don't deal with this shit there.

glatt · 01-30-2006, 11:04 AM

On the bright side, if they keep this up, there won't be such a long wait in the future.

wolf · 01-31-2006, 12:53 AM

The last time I tried call-ahead at Outback, there was a 2 hour wait. At 4 in the afternoon on a Sunday.

My friends and I went to The Sumney (a stand-alone local restaurant with a mild sports-bar flavor (i.e., you can see a TV from every seat in the place, but they don't overdo the sports thing)) which had immediate seating.

Trilby · 01-31-2006, 06:44 AM

I wasn't impressed with Bahama Breeze anyway. The food was "meh" and the drinks were watery. And, honey, I know when drinnks are watery.

Plus, they were OUT of Key Lime pie. WTF?

01-30-2006, 10:56 AM	#1
vsp Syndrome of a Down Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: West Chester Posts: 1,367	Punting a restaurant off my list The victim: Bahama Breeze, KoP Mall area. The offense: My wife, myself and a mutual friend were interested in going there Saturday night. I'd dealt with them before on a Saturday, and the wait time is usually horrendous, as they have Call-Ahead Seating. The last time we tried it, we got there at 4:30 on a Saturday and were told "two hour wait" with a near-empty lobby, because tables were reserved for callers. Note that the restaurant does not accept reservations. They reserve positions on the wait list for tables for those who call ahead. This is an important plot point. So around 3:30, I called up to put our names on the list. The host says "We have no wait now, so we can't put you down on our wait list for tables. Try calling about 30 minutes before you're going to arrive." Sounds reasonable. Around 4:45, standing in my friend's kitchen, I called to put our names on the list. The hostess says "We have no wait now, so we can't put you down on our wait list for tables. Come on in." I shrug, and we drive directly from Exton to KoP, about a 15-minute drive. A few minutes after 5, we park and walk in the door. The place is mobbed. We reach the hostess and she says "It'll be about an hour's wait." I pointed out that I'd tried to play by their rules and call ahead _twice_, once within the past 20 minutes, and she sniffed and said "Well, we must not have had a wait then." No, fuck YOU, ma'am. We walked over to the sports-bar restaurant next door, where we had zero wait for a table. While standing in line to speak to the hostess there, we noticed a familiar-looking couple in front of us. We compared notes; they'd been standing in front of us in the Bahama line, and Bahama did the same "we do call-ahead seating, if you call ahead in a specific three-minute time window, but you'll wait for an hour if that window occurs during your commute" stunt to them. OFF THE ACCEPTABLE RESTAURANT LIST with them. Outback does call-ahead and people don't deal with this shit there.

01-31-2006, 12:53 AM	#3
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	The last time I tried call-ahead at Outback, there was a 2 hour wait. At 4 in the afternoon on a Sunday. My friends and I went to The Sumney (a stand-alone local restaurant with a mild sports-bar flavor (i.e., you can see a TV from every seat in the place, but they don't overdo the sports thing)) which had immediate seating. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

01-31-2006, 06:44 AM	#4
Trilby Slattern of the Swail Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 15,654	I wasn't impressed with Bahama Breeze anyway. The food was "meh" and the drinks were watery. And, honey, I know when drinnks are watery. Plus, they were OUT of Key Lime pie. WTF? __________________ In Barrie's play and novel, the roles of fairies are brief: they are allies to the Lost Boys, the source of fairy dust and ...They are portrayed as dangerous, whimsical and extremely clever but quite hedonistic. "Shall I give you a kiss?" Peter asked and, jerking an acorn button off his coat, solemnly presented it to her. —James Barrie Wimminfolk they be tricksy. - ZenGum

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

01-30-2006, 11:04 AM	#2
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	On the bright side, if they keep this up, there won't be such a long wait in the future.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)